Guest Commentary written by
Flavia Mangan Colgan
Flavia Mangan Colgan was a political commentator for MSNBC and a correspondent for the CBS Early Show. She works in the nonprofit sector and lives in San Diego.
Eric Schmeltzer
Eric Schmeltzer is a Los Angeles-based political consultant. He was the press secretary for Representative Jerry Nadler of New York and Vermont Governor Howard Dean’s presidential campaign.
While Gov. Gavin Newsom efficiently rebuilds parts of Los Angeles damaged by wildfires, he is leaving the state unprepared for another potential crisis.
The Trump administration has used Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to decimate key public health agencies. The National Institutes of Health saw funding slashed and 1,165 key personnel fired . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fired 1,300 experts , including those identifying emerging diseases like bird flu…